History in Halifax is slowly being wiped off the map: study

Tourists enjoy a summer's day in Halifax, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. (Kelly Clark / The Canadian Press)

Saint Mary's University archeologist Jonathan Fowler is sounding an alarm with a new study. According to Fowler, the centuries-old architecture that adds to Halifax’s heritage and historic vibe is slowly being wiped away as the city grows.

"You look at the maps and you see old Halifax of 1878,” said Fowler. “We've layered that over the modern city, and you compare what was there and what is there now."

Fowler is leading a study that measures urban change as an academic exercise. He concedes, construction and development are part of the natural evolution for all cities in North America.

"Cities have always been about change and are very dynamic, and that's OK,” said Fowler. “But in a historic city like Halifax, we have to be deliberate about that change and be intelligent about it or we'll wake up in a city that doesn't look like anything we know."

Many buildings have disappeared.

Fowler’s research has uncovered that Halifax had almost 8,931 buildings in 1878. Since then, only 1,143 have survived, which is an attrition rate of 87.2 per cent.

Historian Blair Beed hopes these findings serve as a wake-up to spark concern for those who wish to preserve Halifax's heritage.

"We have just not evaluated the buildings to say which ones are old and which ones are historically old and we want to keep,” said Beed.

Fowler said there have been many changes in Halifax over the decades, but it should be noted it still remains a city rich in history.

"There is a lot preserved in certain places,” said Fowler. “The rate of attrition, or the attrition across the city is not in uniform."

Based on his research, Fowler has determined that some pockets of the city have been well preserved, while other areas have undergone dramatic change, with large areas torn down and rebuilt.

Fowler hopes his study leads to a slow-down in the rate of change in the future which could lead to an effort to preserve some of Halifax’s older buildings.